Door latch for appliance cabinets and the like



July 14, 1970 w rr ETAL 3,520,568

I DOOR LATCH FOR APPLIANCE CABINETS AND THE LIKE Filed April 2, 1969III/1111111111.

FIGJ

INVENTORS FREDERICK M. WHHE 6. JOEL H. GREGG (j THE\R ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent "ice ,520,568 DOOR LATCH FOR APPLIANCE CABINETS AND THELIKE Frederick M. White and Joel H. Gregg, Louisville, Ky,

assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York FiledApr. 2, 1969, Ser. No. 812,622 Int. Cl. Eb /02; E05c 13/00; E05d 7/00US. Cl. 292-255 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A latch assembly isprovided having a door-mounted strike and a resilient cooperatingcabinet-mounted keeper. Unitary means are provided for mounting thekeeper on the cabinet member and for releasing the strike from thekeeper. The unitary means comprises a rigid element supporting thekeeper and an integral release arm connected by a flexible hinge at thejuncture thereof. An opening is formed in the rig-id element, throughwhich a portion of the release arm may be extended when the release armis rotated about the flexible hinge. A foot operated means is adapted torotate the release arm about the flexible hinge and to extend theportion through the opening and into engagement with the door member. Abiasing means is provided to normally maintain the release arm in such arotary position relative to the flexible hinge that the portion iswithdrawn from contact With the door member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to footoperated latches and, more particularly, to a foot operated latch foruse on appliance and other household cabinets, such as automatic clothesdryer cabinets.

A variety of foot operated latch arrangements are known to the priorart. However, most of these devices are of a complex design employing amultiplicity of intricate latch mounting and operating parts. Forexample, reference is made to US. Pat. No. 2,844,402, issued July 22,1958 to Mr. Philip G. Hughes and assigned to the assignee of the instantinvention. That patent teaches a foot operated latch of a magnetic typeemploying a pair of pole pieces, at least one of which is pivotallymounted for breaking a magnetic circuit and exerting a force against thecabinet door. The Hughes device further discloses a complex assembly forsupporting and biasing the pivotal pole member to facilitate operation.

Latches designed for use in automatic dryer cabinets and the like mustalso be designed with safety in mind, as such cabinets frequentlypresent the problem of being attractive to children who may climbthrough the dryer access opening and into the dryer drum, closing thedoor after them. It is therefore essential to provide a door latchingarrangement which is readily releasable by a force exerted from theinterior of the cabinet, as well as being operable from the exterior. Inaddition to being readily releasable with a minimum of force, thelatching arrangement must be designed to provide adequate closure forceto hold the door in a sealed relationship against the compression gasketto prevent the outside air from entering the drying chamber or toprevent the escape of moisture or moist air during the operation of thedryer.

3,520,568 Patented July 14, 1970 It is, accordingly, an object of thisinvention to provide a new and improved foot operated latch which issimple and inexpensive in design and which provides a firm holdingaction but yet is readily releasable for access to the interior of thecabinet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention comprises an improved latchassembly having a strike secured to a door member and a cooperatingresilient keeper secured to a cabinet member. Unitary means are providedfor mounting the keeper on the cabinet member and for releasing thestrike from the keeper, the unitary means comprising a rigid elementsupporting the keeper and an integral release arm connected to the rigidelement by a flexible hinge at the juncture thereof. An opening isformed in the rigid element through which a portion of the release armmay be extended when the release arm is rotated about the flexiblehinge. A foot operated means is provided to rotate the release arm aboutthe flexible hinge and to extend the portion through the opening andinto engagement with the door member. A biasing means is adapted tonormally maintain the release arm in such a rotary position relative tothe flexible hinge that said portion is withdrawn from contact with thedoor member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING While the specification concludes withclaims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subjectmatter which is regarded as the invention, it is believed that theinvention will be better understood from the following description ofthe preferred embodiment taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clothes dryer incorporating theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of one embodiment of the latch ofFIG. 1 illustrating the latch in a closed position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the latch of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a second embodiment of the latchshowing the cabinet door partly open.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing,and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, there is illustrated an automaticclothes dryer 10 having a clothes tumbling basket 11 arranged forrotation about a horizontal axis. The basket 11 is mounted within anouter cabinet 12, and a door 13 is provided on the cabinet for access tothe interior of the basket. During operation of dryer 10, warm dry airis blown or drawn into the basket 11 through an opening 14 in a rearbulkhead closing the back of the basket. After passing through thebasket and extracting moisture from the clothes therein, this air isthen discharged into an exhaust opening 15 through a passageway 16 inthe door 13. It will be understood that dryer 10 is provided withsuitable air moving and heater means for creating this flow of warm dryair.

In order to hold the door 13 closed during the operation of the dryer, alatch assembly is provided. In accordance with one embodiment of theinvention as shown in FIG. 2, the latch assembly comprises a strike 17and a 3 cooperating keeper 18, the strike 17 being secured to door 13and the keeper 18 being secured to cabinet 12. Keeper 18 comprises amounting plate 19, a resilient means 20 for releasably capturing thestrike 17, and an unlatching means generally indicated by the numeral21.

Mounting plate 19 is secured to cabinet 12 by suitable fastening meanssuch as screws 22. Centrally positioned within mounting plate 19, asseen in FIGS. 2 and 3, is a cavity 23 having tabs or projections 24 forsecuring resilient means 20 therein. Resilient means 20 comprises asubstantially U-shaped leaf spring having concave leg portions which bowinwardly to form a restriction 25 which cooperates with an enlargedblunt head portion 26 formed on strike 17. By this arrangement,resilient means 20 may releasably capture strike '17 thereby releasablyholding the door 13 in a closed position adjacent the cabinet 12.

Unlatching means 21 comprises a release arm 27 pivotally mounted forrotation relative to the mounting plate 19, and a foot operated means 28adapted to rotate the release arm 27. Release arm 27 is integrallyformed with the mounting plate 19 and has a flexible hinge 29 at thejuncture thereof whereby the release arm may pivot about its point ofconnection to the mounting plate. Mounting plate 19 and integral releasearm 27 may be made of any suitable material such as polypropylene whichwill enable the formation of a durable resilient flexible hinge 29 by asevere reduction in cross section between the mounting plate and therelease arm. From its point of connection to the mounting plate, therelease arm 27 extends inwardly and downwardly so as to avoid contactwith the molded cavity area of mounting plate 19 which supportsresilient means 20. The lower portion of release arm 27 terminates in anarcuate projection 30 adapted to extend through an opening 31 inmounting plate 19. Arcuate projection 30 has a radius of curvature aboutthe point of connection of the release arm 27 with the mounting plate 19substantially equal to the distance between the aforementioned point ofconnection and the opening 31. Also formed on the lower portion ofrelease arm 27 is an enlarged stop 32 adapted to engage the rear face ofmounting plate 19 and thereby limit the rotation of the release arm 27.

A projection 33, as may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, extends from therelease arm 27 and has a hole therein for connection with one end of adepending link 34. The other end of link 34 connects with one of twoinwardly extending arms 35 of a foot pedal 36. As shown in FIGS. 1 and2, the foot pedal 36 extends outwardly through an opening 37 in cabinet12 and is pivotally supported from the cabinet 12 by a pair of supports38 extending upwardly from the base thereof.

A biasing means is provided to normally maintain the release arm 27 outof contact with the door 13. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the biasingmeans comprises a spring 39 adapted to exert a force on foot pedal arm35 and the cabinet connected support 38. In an alternate embodiment ofthe invention shown in FIG. 5, the spring 39 is not utilized. In thisembodiment the biasing means compresses a torsion spring 40 disposedadjacent the point of connection of the release arm 27 and the mountingplate 19. Spring 40 has its release arm 27 and mounting plate 19 tomaintain the release arm out of contact with door 13.

Door closure is effected by manually exerting a force on the outersurface of door 13 thereby causing the enlarged blunt head portion 26 ofstrike 17 to engage resilient means 20 and to extend thereinto past therestriction 25 To open the door, a downward force is manually exerted onfoot pedal 36 which causes the inwardly extending arms 35 to pivotdownwardly. As arms 35 pivot downwardly, link 34 is caused to translatedownwardly and release arm 27 is pivoted about flexible hinge 29, asshown in FIG. 4. The arcuate portion 30 of release arm 27 is therebycaused to extend through opening 31 into contact with door 13. The forceexerted on door 13 by the release arm causes strike 17 to disengageresilient means 20, and door 13 then snaps open. The extension ofportion 30 through opening 31 is limited by stop 32, and when a force isno longer exerted on the foot pedal 36, the biasing means, 39 or 40,causes the unlatching means 21 to reassume the configuration of FIG. 2.

As was previously mentioned, my system is particularly adapted for usein appliance cabinets or the like wherein it is desirable to provide afoot operated latch which is simple and inexpensive in design and whichprovides a firm holding action, yet which is readily releasable. Fromthe foregoing description it should now be apparent that the presentinvention, by providing a keeper having an integrally formed mountingplate and release arm, is extremely simple and inexpensive in design.Furthermore, by providing a biasing means for releasably capturing thestrike, the door may be opened from the interior of the cabinet by adirect manual force on the door itself, or may be opened from theexterior of the cabinet by the use of the foot pedal.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects ofthe invention are not limited to the particular details of theconstruction of the examples illustrated, and it is contemplated thatother variations, modifications or applications will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is therefore intended to cover such variations,modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit andscope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. In a latch assembly having a strike secured to a door member and acooperating keeper secured to a cabinet member:

(a) unitary means for mounting said keeper on said cabinet member andfor releasing said strike from said keeper, said unitary meanscomprising a rigid mounting plate and an integral release arm connectedto said mounting plate by a flexible hinge at the juncture thereof;

(b) an opening formed in said mounting plate through which a portion ofsaid release arm may be extended when said release arm is rotated aboutsaid flexible hinge;

(0) foot operated means adapted to rotate said release arm about saidflexible hinge and to extend said portion through said opening and intoengagement with said door member; and

(d) biasing means adapted to normally maintain said release arm in sucha rotary position relative to said flexible hinge that said portion iswithdrawn from contact with said door member.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said portion of said release armcomprises an arcuate projection having a radius about said flexiblehinge substantially equal to the distance between said hinge and saidopening.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said release arm has an enlargedstop adjacent said portion to limit the rotation of said release armabout said flexible hinge.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said biasing means comprlses atorsion spring disposed adjacent said flexible hinge and having endsadapted to exert a force on said release arm and said mounting plate.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

said foot operated means includes a foot pedal pivotally supported fromthe cabinet member, and means connecting said foot pedal to said releasearm whereby a downward rotation of said foot pedal causes said portionof said release arm to extend through said opening; and

said biasing means comprises a spring adapted to exert a force on saidfoot pedal and said cabinet member.

(References on following page) 5 6 References Cited 2,904,823 9/1959Perrill 16147 Cornelius X E i? 3 3 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examinerumme s ur Hughes 292 255 X 5 E. I. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner Saunders312-214 US. Cl. X.R. 16150; 292340

